Baby bathing device



April 18, 1950 J. R. WARD BABY BATHING DEVICE Filed Dec. 2, 1947 \n 1 z z z w.

60000000000 oo0000o0ooo 000000 0000009 0000 Qooooofldoooooa oooo I INVENTOR. Jul/IV 19. W19? A TI'OR/VE V5 Patented Apr. 18, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,504,287 BABY ns'rnnvo DEVICE John R. Ward, Mill Valley, Calif.

Application December 2, 1947, Serial No. 789,147

3 Claims.

This invention relates to bathing apparatus for infants and more particularly to a safety device for supporting an infant in a tub or the like while it is being bathed.

A main object of the invention is to provide an improved baby bathing device for use in an ordinary sink or tub wherein the infant may be safely supported while it is being bathed without risk of drowning, said device being very simple in construction, easy to handle, and providing rapid drainage of soapy water from the infant whereby proper rinsing of the infant is greatly facilitated.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved baby bathing support which is inexpensive to manufacture, adjustable to different tub or sink sizes, and which is very sturdy in construction and easy to assemble, the risk of drowning the infant being minimized by the use of the improved support, and thorough rinsing of soapy water from the infant being achieved, thereby avoidin chafing and irritation of the infants skin, as frequently results from improper rinsing.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken through a conventional sink and showing an infant supported on a bathing device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view, partly broken away and partly disassembled, of the :bathing device of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.:

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the frame portion of the infant bathing device of Figure 1. r.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional detail view taken on line 55 of Figure 4 and showing the manner in which the side tabs of the top perforated cover used with the frame are secured thereto.

Referring to the drawings, H designates the frame of the device, said frame being generally rectangular in shape and comprising four rightangled channel members, generallygc-shaped in cross-section, designated at l2, II, I and I5 which define the corners of the frame and are telescopically interlocked at their arms. As shown in Figure 2, the longitudinalarm of channel member i2 is telescoped into, the longitudinal arm of channel member IS, the longitudinal arms of channel members l4 and I lbeing telescopically interlocked in the same manne' The'transverse arm of channel member l5 isFtelscopically received in the transverse arm of member l2 and the transverse arm of member I3 is telescoped into the transverse arm of member M in the same fashion. This allows the frame to be adjusted to fit into any conventional tub or sink.

As shown in Figure 3, the webs of the channel members are downwardly and inwardly inclined and are releasably locked together by bolts [6 passing through registering elongated slots ll formed in said webs, said bolts being directed inwardly of the frame and being provided with wing nuts 18 threaded thereon and bearing on washers IS.

The longitudinal webs of the channel members are formed with apertures 20 shaped at their top edges to define a plurality Of depending equally spaced lugs 2|. Designated at 22 is a cover sheet of flexible plastic or waterproof fibre formed at its longitudinal edges with spaced tabs 23, 23 shaped and located so as to be receivable in the respective apertures 20. The sheet 22, including the tabs 23, is formed with spaced perforations 24 over its entire surface. When the tabs 23 are inserted in the apertures 20 and folded inwardly with respect to the top edges of the apertures,

the lugs 2| enter the adjacent perforations 24 of the tabs 23 and secure the sheet 22 in a taut condition on the frame I I, as shown in Figure 5.

In employing the apparatus, the assembled structure is placed in a sink or tub 25, as shown in Figure l, and the infant is placed on the taut cover sheet 22. The infant may then be bathed, the water passing through the cover apertures 24 and down the sink drain. A conventional hose and spray attachment may be provided to facilitate rinsing soapy water off the infant's body.

While a specific embodiment of a bathing apparatus for infants has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A bathing suppOrtffor an infant, comprising a pair of substantially vertical frame members, means operatively connecting said frame members together for relative adjusting movement toward and away from each other to provide a support of a selected size, said frame members being formed with openings therethrough extending longitudinally thereof, each frame member having a plurality of spaced lugs extending downwardly into said openings, a flexible cover sheet for said support, said cover sheet having opposite end portions, each end portion being formed with a longitudinally extending series of transversely extending rows of apertures, said apertures of each row being spaced to correspond to spacing of said lugs, and selected rows of apertures of said end portions of said sheet being engageable with said lugs whereby to comprise means for supporting said cover sheet between said adjusted frame members in a taut condition in accordance with the selected size of the support.

2. A bathing support for an infant, comprising a pair of substantially vertical frame members,

means operatively connecting said frame {nembers together for relative adjusting movement toward and away from each other to provide a support of a selected size, said framev members each being formed with a series of spaced downwardly directed lugs extending longitudinally thereof, a flexible cover sheet having an end por- ,tion formed with means for detachablysecuring thesame to said lugs of one frame member, said sheet having an opposite end portion formed with a -longi tudinally extending series of transversely extending rowsof apertures, ,said apertures of eachrow being spaced to conform to the spacing orsaid lugs of the oppositeframe member, and a rowfiof said apertures corresponding to the selected sizeof the support being engageable with said, 1-as t mentioned row of lugs to support said cover sheet ina taut condition between said frame membe s- 3. A bathing support for an infant, comprising a pair .of upstanding laterally elongated frame members of sheetmaterial, portions of thestock 4 of said frame members being cut away to provide openings therethrough extending longitudinally thereof, stock of said frame members being formed to provide rows of laterally spaced downwardly extending lugs defining the upper margins of said openings, a flexible cover sheet for said support, said cover sheet having opposite end portions, each end portion being formed with a longitudinally extending series of transversely extending rows of japertures, said apertures of each row being spaced to conform to the spacing of said lugs, said end portions of said sheet being stretched over said frame members and tucked through said openings, and rows of said apertures corresponding to the selected spacing of said frame members detachably engaging said lugs for supporting said cover sheet between said frame membersin a taut condition irrespective of the selected size of the support.

JOHN R. WARD.

" .1 'naFEan soEs CITED The following references are-of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Nmribr Name Date 272,077 .Mueller Feb. 13, 1883 633,525 Martindale Sept. 19,1899 1,121,920 Haidet Dec. 22, 1914 ,327,295 Smith Jan. 6 1920 1,394,331 Monroe Oct. 18, 1921 2 149,985 Tepper Mar. '7, 1939 2,222,070 Graves Nov. 19, 1940 2,296,592 Baxter et a1 Sept. 22, 1942 

